Method of forming merchandise container



March 14, 1967 Y J. c. PETERSON 3,308,722

METHOD OF FORMING MERCHANDISE CONTAINER Filed Oct. 28, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 14, 1967 J. c. PETERSON METHOD OF FORMING MERCHANDISE CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 28, 1964 INVENTOR. JACK C. PETERSON BYW fi i IZLAQ M ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,308,722 METHOD OF FGRMING MERCHANDISE CONTAINER Jack C. Peterson, Charlotte, N.C., assignor to Package Products Company, Inc., Charlotte, N.C., a corporation of North Carolina Filed Oct. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 407,142 8 Claims. (Cl. 93-35) The present invention relates to a method of forming merchandise containers or bags and more particularly to a method of forming merchandise containers of the type having a closure flap at one end and with the other end being open for filling of the container. One such merchandise container which may be formed by the instant method is disclosed and claimed in the co-pending application of Robert A. Claridge, Ser. No. 267,634, filed Mar. 25, 1963, and entitled, Merchandise Container.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel method of scoring, folding, cutting and sealing a single web of sheet material to form a merchandise container or bag having a folded over closure flap at one end which is sealed to the underlying container wall portion and has a weakened tear line therein, and having the other end thereof open for filling of the container.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a method of the character described wherein the single web is printed with laterally spaced and alined designs with one design being closer to one side edge of the web than the other design is to the other side edge of the web, and the web is folded in such a manner to place the printed designs on the exterior of the container and in juxtaposed registration and the web is cut and sealed while the designs are maintained in registration.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel method of printing, folding, cutting and sealing a single web of sheet material to form a merchandise container or bag having a folded over closurefiap at one end and the other end open for filling of the container, and having juxtaposed and registered printed designs on the opposite exterior surfaces of the container wall portions.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a method of the character last described wherein the web is scored and sealed in such a manner that the closure flap is sealed to the underlying container wall portion adjacent the free edge of the closure flap to completely close the adjacent end of the container and a tear line is formed in the closure flap for. ease in obtaining access to the interior of the container while still retaining the recloseability feature of the closure flap.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary, schematic isometric view illustrating the method of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary, enlarged sectional view taken substantially along line 22 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line 33 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a package utilizing a merchandise container formed in accordance with the method of the present invention and illustrating the manner of obtaining access to the interior thereof;

FIGURE 5 is an isometric view of one side of a merchandise container formed by the method of the present invention prior to filling thereof; 7

FIGURE G is an isometric view on a reduced scale of the reverse side of the merchandise container shown in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line 7-7 in FIGURE 5; and

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken sub.- stantially along line 88 in FIGURE 7.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIGURES 1-3, there is illustrated the preferred steps of the method of the present invention which include the handling of a single elongate web 10 of sheet material, such as polyethylene. Web 10 includes opposite side edges 10a, 1% and is fed from any suitable source (not shown) through a printing mechanism 11 which prints a series of laterally spaced designs 12 and 1-3 thereon at longitudially spaced positions. The designs 12 are spaced from the adjacent side edge 10a of web 11 a smaller distance than the designs 13 are spaced from the other side edge 1% of the web 111. Therefore, a line 14 extending longitudinally of web 10 centrally between the designs 12 and 13 is offset a predetermined distance from the center line of the web 10 for reasons to become apparent. The web portions on opposite sides of line 14 are respectively referred to by reference characters ltlc and llld.

Designs 12 and 13 are arranged in reverse order to each other such that when the web 10 is folded, the same may be brought into exact registration. Also, designs 12 and 13 are printed on web portions liBc and 1th! in any desired position relative to the side edges 10a and 1013, but preferably in such a position that the same wiil be disposed centrally of the walls of the finished package.

The web It) is then passed over a guide roll or bar 15 and a longitudinally extending, weakened tear line 16 is formed therein adjacent side edge 10b, but spaced a predetermined distance therefrom. Tear line 16 may be formed by any suitable scoring means such as a means for thinning or grooving the material therealong or a perforating mechanism 17 which forms a line of spaced apart perforations in the web.

Web 10 is then passed about a pair of spaced apart guide rolls orbars 18, 19 and then upwardly to another guide roll or bar 20 which guides the web It to a V- fc-lder 21 in. such a manner that V-folder 21 folds web 10 along the line 14 disposed centrally betweenthe designs 12 and 13. The portions 190 and 10d of the web It) are thereby brought into juxtaposed relation with the printed designs 12 and 13 on the exterior surfaces of the folded web portions and in juxtaposed registration. Since fold line 14 is spaced laterally from the centerline of web 10, the web portion 10d projects outwardly beyond the side edge 10a of the web portion 190 a distance equal to twice the distance at which fold line 14 is spaced from the centerline of the web 10.

The thusly folded web is then passed between a pair of nip rolls 22, 23 which maybe driven to pull the web 10 from the source and through the previously described path of movement to the rolls 22, 23, but preferably these rolls are idler rolls and serve to guide the folded Web forwardly at right angles to the path of travel at which the web is delivered from V-folder 21. The folded web 10 passes under a bar 24 which engages he upper surface thereof and has one end portion 24a thereof projecting outwardly from the side edge 10a of web portion a predetermined distance and about which the projecting portion of web portion 10d is folded to "forma closure flap 25. This predetermined distance is less than one-half the width of the portion of web portion 10d which projects beyond side edge 10a an amount equal to the desired overlap of closure flap 25 with web portion 100 and bar 24 may be moved laterally of the folded web as desired to vary the amount of this overlap.

A plate member 26 is carried by and projects forwardly from bar 24 between the web portions 100 and 10d and carries a knife 27 at its forward end. Knife 27 projects upwardly from plate member 26 adjacent but spaced slightly laterally of the fold line 14. Knife 27 longitudinally slits the web adjacent the fold line 14 as the web moves therepast to separate the web portions 16c and d. As the movement of the web continues, bar 24 flattens the portion of the web between the knife 27 and the fold line 14 such that a projecting portion is formed at this side of the folded web. It is noted that the separated web portions 10c and 1001 are maintained against relative lateral and longitudinal movement at least in part by the nip rolls 22, 23 to maintain the printed designs in overlying registration.

- A plate or anvil 30 projects between the web portions 100 and Illd through the open side thereof formed by the slitting of the web by knife 27 and into underlying relation to web portion 10c and the overlapping portion of closure flap 25. Plate 30 serves as a backing means for a sealing means 31 comprising a heated member 32 having a relatively sharp lower surface thereon which seals the overlapping portion of closure flap 25 to the immediately underlying web portion 160 between the tear line 16 and the adjacent side or free edge 10b of the closure flap to reunite the web portions along this seal line, referred to at 33. Sealing member 32 is carried by any suitable bracket means 34 which includes an adjustment mechanism 35 for adjusting the height of sealing member 32 relative to the backup member 30.

The thus connected web portions are then moved forwardly under a guide roll or bar 36 and then over a guide roll or bar 37. If desired, a gusset may be formed in the V closure flap 25 by a gusseting mechanism which includes a pair of vertically spaced plate members 40 and 41 which are disposed betweenthe web portions 10c and 10d and a third plate member 42 disposed between the plate members 40 and 41 and angled rearwardly relative to the direction of travel of the web. The closure flap 25 of the web engages the angled plate 42 which cooperates with plates 40 and 41 to fold the same into generally U-shape and to position this U-shaped fold between the web portions 10c and 10a? to form the desired gusset therein.

The web then passes between a pair of nip rolls 43, 44 which preferably are driven in any suitable manner (not shown) to impart the movement to the web to cause the same to move through the various previously described steps of the instant method. A cutter and sealer is disposed adjacent the nip rolls 43 and 44, but forwardly thereof relative to the direction of movement of the web. This cutter and sealer preferably comprises a heated'bar which is reciprocated vertically in timed relation to the rotation of rolls 43 and 44 by any suitable means (not shown) to cut the web at longitudinally spaced points to separate. the same into bag or container blanks '46 and to I seal the web portions, including the closure flap 2S and the gusset, together along the cut edges thereof.

Referring to FIGURES 4-8, it will be seen that the container blank 46 formed by the method of the instant invention includes the closure flap 25 at one end thereof which is sealed along the seal line 33 to completely close this end of the bag or container, butwhich has the weakened tear line 16 therein along which'the closure flap may be fractured (as illustrated in FIGURE-4) to obtain access to the interior of the container. The recloseability feature of aclosure flap which remains sealed in the folded-over position at the side edges thereof is, however, retained. As seen in FIGURE 5, the container blank 46 has the printed design 12 on the upper or front wall 47 thereof, defined by web portion 10c, in juxtaposed or overlying registration with the printed design 13 on lower or bottom-wall 50 with the points of the star or other features of the designs in exact registration. The other end of the container blank 46 is open to permit filling of the container blank and hasthe projecting portion thereat to. facilitate such filling.

"After filling, the openend of container blank 46 is sealed as at 51 and the excess material but away'to form a completed package. This completed package has the very desirable characteristics of a sealed package, but a package which may be easily and quickly opened to obtain access to the contents and then having some degree of recloseability to protect the unused contents. Also, this package has printed designs on both the front and back thereof in the same location and exhibiting the same appearance which has not heretofore been possible with this type of package.

It is therefore believed apparent that a novel method is provided for printing, scoring, folding, cutting and sealing a single web of sheet material to form a merchandise container having the aforementioned highly desirable characteristics.

In the drawings and specificationthere have been set forth preferred embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims. a

l claimf 1. A method of forming a merchandise prising the steps of (a) moving an elongate. web of sheet material. in. a

predetermined path of travel, I

(b) longitudinally scoring the web along a line spaced asmall distance from one side edge thereof to form a tear line therein, a

(c) longitudinally folding the web along a medial line offset a predetermined distance from the center line of the webto juxtapose the portions of the web on opposite sides of the fold line with one side edge portion, including the tear line, projecting outwardly beyond the side edge of the other portion,

(d) folding the projecting portion of said one portion over the side edge ofsaid other portion and into juxtaposed relationto said other portion to form a closure flap, v

v (e) longitudinally slittingthe web. adjacent the medial line along which'the web has been folded while I (f) maintaining the thusly separated portions of the web in lateral and longitudinal registration,

(g) longitudinally sealing the closureflap to the under I lying other portion along a line disposed between the tear line and the adjacent side or free edge of the closure flap, and p V (h) transversely cutting and sealing the web portions at longitudinally spaced points to divide the web into bag or container blanks and to seal the web portions, including the closure flap, together along the cut, side edges thereof.

2. A'method according to claim 1 including .(i) forming a gusset in the folded. over closure flap prior to transversely cutting and sealing the Web.

3. A method of forming a merchandise container com prising the steps of (a) longitudinally moving an elongate Web of sheet material having laterally spaced and alined printed designs thereon at longitudinally spaced positions withone of the designs being closer to one side edge of the web than the other design is to the other side edge of th web,

(b) longitudinally folding the Web along amedial line between and equidistant from the printed designs on the web to juxtapose portions of the web on opposite sides of the fold line with one portion projecting outwardly beyond the side edge of the other portion and with the printed designs on the exterior surfaces of the web portions and in juxtaposed registration,

(c) folding the projecting side edge portion of said one web portion over the side edge of said other portion and into juxtaposed relation'fth re to to form. a closure flap,

container com- (d) longitudinally slitting the web adjacent the line along which the web has been folded while (e) maintaining the thusly separated portion of the web in lateral and longitudinal registration to maintain the printed designs thereon in registration, and

(f) transversely cutting and sealing the web at longitudinally spaced points to divide the web into container or bag blanks and to seal the web portions, including the closure flap, together along the cut side edges thereof to form containers which are at least partially closed at one end and open at the other end for filling thereof,

4. A method of forming a merchandise container comprising the steps of (a) printing laterally spaced and alined designs on an elongate web of sheet material in longitudinally spaced positions with one of the designs being closer to one side edge of the web than the other design is to the other side edge of the web,

(b) longitudinally folding the web along a line between and equidistant from the printed designs to juxtapose the portions of the web on opposite sides of the fold line with one portion projecting outwardly beyond the side edge of the other portion and with the printed designs on the exterior surface of the web portions and in juxtaposed registration,

(c) folding the projecting portion of said one portion over the side edge of said other portion and into juxtaposed relation to said other portion to form a closure flap,

(d) longitudinally slitting the web adjacent the line along which the web was first folded while (e) maintaining the thusly separated portions of the web in lateral and longitudinal registration to maintain the printed designs in registration, and

(f) transversely cutting and sealing the web at longitudinally spaced points to divide the web into bag or container blanks and to seal the web portions, including the closure flap, together along the out side edges thereof to form containers which are at least partially closed at one end and open at the other end for filling thereof.

5. A method according to claim 4 including (g) longitudinally sealing the folded over closure flap to the immediately underlying other Web portion adjacent the free edge of the flap to completely close said one end of the container.

6. A method of forming a merchandise container according to claim 5 including (h) longitudinally scoring the portion of the web which forms the closure flap in laterally spaced relation to the free edge thereof a distance sufficient such that this scored line is disposed on the opposite side of the line along which the closure flap is sealed to said other web portion to define a tear line along which the closure flap may be fractured to obtain access to the interior of the container.

7. A method of forming a merchandise container comprising the steps of (a) moving an elongate web of sheet material in a predetermined path of travel,

(b) printing laterally alined designs on the web in longitudinally spaced positions and in predetermined laterally spaced relation and with one of the designs closer to one side edge of the web than the other design is to the other side edge of the web,

(c) longitudinally scoring the web along a line spaced a small distance from said other side edge of the web to form a tear line therein,

(d) longitudinally folding the web along a line disposed between and equidistant from the printed designs to juxtapose the portions of the web on opposite sides of the fold line with the side edge portion including the tear line projecting outwardly beyond the side edge of the other portion and with the printed designs on the exterior surfaces of the web portions and in juxtaposed registration,

(e) folding the projecting portion of said one portion over the side edge of said other portion and into juxtaposed relation to said other portion to form a closure flap with the side or free edge thereof disposed between the printed design on and the side edge of said other web portion,

(f) longitudinally slitting the web adjacent the medial line along which the web has been folded While (g) maintaining the thusly separated portions of the Web and the printed designs thereon in lateral and longitudinal registration,

(h) longitudinally sealing the closure flap to the underlying other web portion along a line disposed between the tear line and the adjacent side or free edge of the closure flap, and

(i) transversely cutting and sealing the web portions at longitudinally spaced points to divide the web into bag or container blanks and to seal the web portions, including the closure flap, together along the cut side edges thereof.

8. A method of forming a merchandise container comprising the steps of (a) moving an elongate web of sheet material in a predetermined path of travel,

(b) printing laterally alined designs on the web in longitudinally spaced positions and in predetermined laterally spaced relation and with one of the designs closer to one side edge of the web than the other design is to the other side edge of the web,

(c) longitudinally scoring the web along a line spaced a small distance from said other side edge of the web to form a tear line therein,

(d) longitudinally folding the web along a line disposed between and equidistant from the printed designs to juxtapose the portions of the web on opposite sides of the fold line with the side edge portion including the tear line projecting outwardly beyond the side edge of the other potrion and with the printed designs on the exterior surfaces of the web portions and in juxtaposed registration,

(e) folding the projecting portion of said one portion over the side edge of said other portion and into juxtaposed relation to said other portion to form a closure flap with the side or free edge disposed between the printed design on and the side edge of said other portion,

(f) longitudinally slitting the web along a line spaced laterally from the medial line along which the web has been folded by a small distance while (g) maintaining the thusly separated portions of the web and the printed designs thereon in lateral and longitudinal registration,

(h) longitudinally sealing the closure flap to the underlying other portion along a line disposed between the tear line and the adjacent side or free edge of the closure flap,

(i) forming a gusset in the folded over portion of the web by folding the same inwardly between the juxtaposed web portions, and

(j) transversely cutting and sealing the web portions at longitudinally spaced points to divide the web into bag or container blanks and to seal the web portions, including the closure flap and gusset fold, together along the out side edges thereof.

No references cited.

FRANK E. BAILEY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A METHOD OF FORMING A MERCHANDISE CONTAINER COMPRISING THE STEPS OF (A) MOVING AN ELONGATE WEB OF SHEET MATERIAL IN A PREDETERMINED PATH OF TRAVEL, (B) LONGITUDINALLY SCORING THE WEB ALONG A LINE SPACED A SMALL DISTANCE FROM ONE SIDE EDGE THEREOF TO FORM A TEAR LINE THEREIN, (C) LONGITUDINALLY FOLDING THE WEB ALONG A MEDIAL LINE OFFSET A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE FROM THE CENTER LINE OF THE WEB TO JUXTAPOSE THE PORTIONS OF THE WEB ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE FOLD LINE WITH ONE SIDE EDGE PORTION, INCLUDING THE TEAR LINE, PROJECTING OUTWARDLY BEYOND THE SIDE EDGE OF THE OTHER PORTION, (D) FOLDING THE PROJECTING PORTION OF SAID ONE PORTION OVER THE SIDE EDGE OF SAID OTHER PORTION AND INTO JUXTAPOSED RELATION TO SAID OTHER PORTION TO FORM A CLOSURE FLAP, (E) LONGITUDINALLY SLITTING THE WEB ADJACENT THE MEDIAL LINE ALONG WHICH THE WEB HAS BEEN FOLDED WHILE (F) MAINTAINING THE THUSLY SEPARATED PORTIONS OF THE WEB IN LATERAL AND LONGITUDINAL REGISTRATION, (G) LONGITUDINALLY SEALING THE CLOSURE FLAP TO THE UNDERLYING OTHER PORTION ALONG A LINE DISPOSED BETWEEN THE TEAR LINE AND THE ADJACENT SIDE OR FREE EDGE OF THE CLOSURE FLAP, AND (H) TRANSVERSELY CUTTING AND SEALING THE WEB PORTIONS AT LONGITUDINALLY SPACED POINTS TO DIVIDE THE WEB INTO BAG OR CONTAINER BLANKS AND TO SEAL THE WEB PORTIONS, INCLUDING THE CLOSURE FLAP, TOGETHER ALONG THE CUT, SIDE EDGES THEREOF. 